Buffalo Bills News - September 12, 2003

Missing rule in CBA could hurt NFL's case [9:31 PM]ESPN reports:
Buffalo Bills president/general manager Tom Donahoe is credited with rebuilding a roster than was definitely in decline when he arrived. But two things Donahoe doesn't get nearly enough credit for are his excellent handling of the salary cap and his relationship with Bills owner Ralph Wilson

Bills Face a Test [9:30 PM]WOKR-TV reports:
'The Bills are coming off an emotional division win. A week from Sunday they have another AFC East game at Miami. If they walk on to the field at Jacksonville with anything other than the Jags on their mind, they could give away the momentum they gained this past Sunday. I say that will not happen. But it will not be easy.'

Tops Game Ball Winner: Takeo Spikes [3:01 PM]BuffaloBills.com reports:
'Q: How much of a factor was the Bills home crowd noise in helping the Bills defense and confusing the Patriots offense last Sunday? - Buck Smith (Amherst, NY) Spikes: It was big. (Tom) Brady couldn't get some of the checks out that he wanted to. At the same time he was kind of prefixed as far as where he wanted to go. So that right there, along with the home field crowd advantage making that much noise, kind of threw them off a bit.'

On top of the world [1:24 PM]The Sports Network reports:
'Henry is also an able receiver, catching three balls for 37 yards against New England. Fumbling is his kryptonite. Henry lost a league-high eight fumbles last year and lost another versus the Patriots.'

Bills vs. Jaguars Preview [12:21 PM]TBD reports:
'The team the Bills will face has undergone a big transformation. The Jaguars year's roster has 26 new faces – just under a 50% turnover. There is a new head coach. But like the Bills, they too signed some big name free agents, including defensive end Hugh Douglas and LB Mike Peterson. They also kept their veteran leadership, players like QB Mark Brunell and DE Tony Brackens, intact.'

The new guard dog [8:55 AM]Buffalo News reports:
'"It was tough not playing my first year, but I just tried to be patient and work to get better every day," Pucillo said. "The offseason workouts were very important, of course. I prepared myself and waited for the opportunity. When it came, I just went out and tried to do the best I could."'

Brunell's not ready to hand over reins [8:55 AM]Buffalo News reports:
'The Bills certainly don't think Brunell is fading. "From what we saw on film, it doesn't look like Brunell has lost anything," free safety Pierson Prioleau said. "In my opinion, he's still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL."'

Jacksonville Like Any Other Team to Shaw [8:06 AM]BuffaloBills.com reports:
'"They are just the next opponent," Shaw said. "You have to prepare the same no matter who you're playing. Once the game is over, if we come out on top, then bragging rights with old buddies will kick in. But during the game you have to have the same preparation."'

Jaguars won't use youth as an excuse [5:20 AM]Rochester D&C reports:
'“ I want to win in anything I do and be competitive in anything I do,” said Del Rio, who coaches with the same intensity he played linebacker in the NFL for 11 seasons with. “ I wasn’t forced to make those decisions to get rid of those guys. We’re doing what we think we can to be competitive.”'

Buffalo's new `great warrior' [5:19 AM]Toronto Star reports:
'"I'm not proclaiming to be the best linebacker to ever play the game," said Spikes, the 6-foot-2, 245-pound hulking specimen that toiled in relative obscurity for five seasons with the Bengals. "But I really don't think the city of Buffalo knew what they were getting when they got me. And it's real ... it's real."'

Bledsoe to Brunell: Change is not bad [5:18 AM]Florida Times Union reports:
'"He's shown that you can go through some difficult times and still have things work out great for you," Brunell said.'

Bills at a glance [5:17 AM]Florida Times Union reports:
'Minuses: The Bills averaged just 3.2 yards on 33 rushing attempts against New England. ... Henry fumbled again on Sunday, raising his total to 16 over the past three seasons.'

Jaguars notebook [5:16 AM]Florida Times Union reports:
'The Buffalo Bills, who visit Alltel Stadium, have played only 10 games in their history -- including preseason games -- in temperatures above 87 degrees.'

Home opener to be blacked out [5:15 AM]Florida Times Union reports:
'With more than 8,100 tickets unsold, the Jaguars didn't even wait until the 72-hour deadline at 1 p.m. yesterday to make the blackout official for Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills at Alltel Stadium.'

The blackout blame falls squarely on... [5:14 AM]St. Augustine Record reports:
'The thing that kills me is that not only do we not get the Jags game, but they won't show any other game. Instead we get re-runs of "Joanie loves Chaci."'

Morris prepared to help the Bills any way he can [5:13 AM]San Antonio Express News reports:
'"I know I could do it," the former Jay and Texas Tech standout said. "Over the past few years, I've learned a lot about how to prepare physically (for the season) and how to take care of my (6-foot, 220-pound) body. I've also improved as a runner since my rookie season."'

Thomas says he'll play [5:12 AM]Miami Herald reports:
'The Dolphins denied a caller's report on a Buffalo television station that there have been talks about moving the Sept. 21 home game to Buffalo and having the Bills come to Miami on Dec. 21 because of Hurricane Isabel. ''We haven't talked to the league or the Bills or discussed it at this point,'' Dolphins spokesman Harvey Greene said.'

A winning game plan [5:11 AM]Jackson Clarion Ledger reports:
'Jasper eats, drinks and bleeds Buffalo red, white and blue because of a chain of loyalties that leads back to Mississippi: Jasper likes the Bills because he likes Eric Moulds because he likes Moulds' alma mater, Mississippi State.'

Fond Memories for Gilbride [5:10 AM]RNews.com reports:
'Gilbride was the Jaguars first ever offensive coordinator under Waterloo native Tom Coughlin, helping build the expansion team into an instant success. "We took a program that was just starting, and within two years climbed on number eight's back and he took us to the AFC Championship game," Gilbride said of his time in Jacksonville with quarterback Mark Brunell.'

Buffalo Bills run round the outside [5:09 AM]ExtraPoint.net reports:
'Besides the penalties the Bills did have a couple of minor hic-cups. Receiver Josh Reed dropped a well worked flea-flicker and had a disappointing game, punt returner Antonio Brown failed to live up to his pre-season promise (but that should be put down to first game nerves), and the running game never really dominated like it should have done until late in the game. But these were minor glitches in an overall superb performance. The Bills are back looking like the great teams they had a decade ago (is it really that long ?) and can now be considered genuine contenders.'

Jags seek to cool off torrid Bills [5:08 AM]AP reports:
'"We stayed to the plan," Williams said. "It pained me to see some of those great defensive players leave here, but that's what we had to do."'

September 11, 2003

Bills sign WR Myers to practice squad [10:03 PM]AP reports:
'Myers was initially signed last April as an undrafted rookie free agent out of LSU, where he was a teammate of Bills receiver Josh Reed.'

Milloy quickly settling in with Bills [6:09 PM]AP reports:
'''I'm going to be able to have fun in this defense,'' Milloy said. ''This defense is one that allows the playmakers to make plays, and forces everybody to get to the ball. And it was evident last Sunday.'''

Blacked out [5:04 PM]Florida Times Union reports:
'"We are disappointed that many of our fans will not get to see our home opener," said senior vice president /sales and marketing Dan Connell in a statement released by the Jaguars. "So we encourage them to come to the stadium and be there in person to experience the first home game under Jack Del Rio."'

Myers Joins Bills Practice Squad [5:01 PM]BuffaloBills.com reports:
'The Bills today announced that the team has signed wide receiver Jerel Myers to its practice squad.'

Bledsoe, Brunell meet up in key AFC battle [4:06 PM]The Sports Network reports:
'The Bills didn't get a lot of opportunities in the return game for Antonio Brown to show what he could do. The WR/KR returned two kicks for touchdowns in the preseason. He should get a chance to shine this week. Jacksonville was awful on special teams against the Panthers. They had a punt blocked for a safety, the potential winning FG was blocked, and they allowed a 36-yard punt return to set up Carolina's winning score.'

Brunell, Bledsoe linked [3:32 PM]Jaguars.com reports:
'Brunell and Bledsoe, two veteran quarterbacks linked by their college football roots and, possibly, by their late-career fates, will face each other this Sunday for the fourth time since they were college rivals at Washington and Washington State.'

Spikes Gets An AFC Honor [1:28 PM]WGR-AM reports:
'Only one Bills is on the injury report for Sunday's game in Jacksonville. Sam Aiken is questionable with a sore hamstring.'